Clockwork movement support

ABSTRACT

Miniaturized support for clockworks which have chain-operated movements, wherein the front and rear plates of the clock can be made of small size and are joined to each other by means of only a pair of struts, one of which is so constructed to surround the axle of the long hand of the clock.

[ 1 Jan. 16, 1973 United States Patent 1 Masuyama 541 CLOCKWORK MOVEMENTSUPPORT 2,595,157 4/1952 Mayer.............. [76] Inventor: lsaoMasuyama, 5075 Oaza Ishioka, 18 2,1969 Jepson et Ishioka, Japan Oct. 15,1971 Appl. No.1 189,511

Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant ExaminerEdith SimmonsJackmon Attorney-Clario Ceccon [22] Filed:

[57] ABSTRACT Miniaturized support for clockworks which have [30]Foreign Application Priority Data chain-operated movements, wherein thefront and rear Oct. 31,1970Japan.................................45/95373 plates of the clock canbe made of Small size and are joined to each other by means of only apair of struts, [52] one of which is so constructed to surround the axleof the long hand of the clock.

[51] Int. ....G04b 29/00 [58] Field of Search .58/26 B, 52-54,56 L, 125,I26, 140

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS1,766,806 6/1930 Wilcox, R

CLOCKWORK MOVEMENT SUPPORT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The presentinvention relates to clockwork movements of wall clock and, inparticular, to movements wherein the front and rear base plates of theclockwork are retained by means of only two supporting struts.

In certain clockwork movements of conventional and especiallychain-operated wall clocks, the squareshaped front and rear basesupporting plates are usually joined together by means of strutsdisposed at each of the four corners of the base plates. The long handis then positioned in the center of the base plates, that is to say, itis mounted so that all the struts are located outside of the wheel blockof the clock. As a result, with such an arrangement it is considerablydifficult to make base plates of sizes smaller than predetermined ones.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, the primary object of thepresent invention to provide a small-size clockwork movement for wallclocks wherein the supporting base plates are simplified and aresuitably miniaturized.

It is another object of the invention to provide in said clockworkmovement front and rear base plates with a reduced number ofjoiningstruts.

DRAWINGS These and other objects of the invention will become moreapparent from the following detailed description thereof and from theaccompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a cut-out perspective view of afirst embodiment of a clockwork movement of a wall clock embodying theinvention and FIG. 2 is a simplified perspective view of anotherembodiment of the clockwork movement of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A preferred embodiment of theinvention will now be described with reference to the drawing of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. I, the clockwork movement comprises a front base plate1 and a rear base plate 2.

A strut 3 joins the front and rear base plates 1, 2. Strut 3 is mountedcentrally and adjacent the upper edge of the two plates, as shown in thefigure. A tubular strut 4 further joins the front and rear base platesto each other, this strut 4 being positioned substantially opposed tostrut 3 and adjacent the lower edge of the two plates. The struts 3 and4 serve to fix the base plates in a parallel position to eachother, thestem of at least one strut being preferably of larger diameter. The axle5 of the long hand 14 extends frontally through the tubular strut 4 andis supported thereby.

To complete the clockwork, there are provided a weight 6 connected to achain wheel 8 through a chain 7; a first wheel 9 secured to the axlewhich supports the chain wheel 8; a second wheel 10, a ratchet wheel 11,a rachet 12, a transmission wheel 13, a short hand 15, a

short hand axle l6, and a toothed wheel 16' mounted on the short handaxle 16.

The clockwork movement according to the invention is constructed asmentioned hereinabove, so that the axle 5 of the long hand 14 ispositioned concentrically within the tubular strut 4 separatin baseplates l and 2. These two plates are supporte by the two single struts 3and 4. Thus, the whole movement, particularly the front and rear baseplates may be, as a result, miniaturized. Furthermore, the tubular strut4 is so constructed that it will surround the axle 5 of the long hand14.

The described other, illustrated members are part of the conventionalcounting system of the clock and are outside the scope of the invention.Similarly outside the scope are chain wheel 17, chain 18 and weight 19which are part of the beating system. All of these respective membersare not notably different from those in a conventional wall clock, sothat a detailed description or a schematical representation thereof maybe omitted.

Referring now to FIG. 2, which shows another embodiment of theinvention, reference numeral 20 denotes a variance of strut 4 of FIG. 1,showing a strut consisting of a small plate as a replacement for thetubular strut 4 of FIG. 1. The bent or folded end portions 21 and 22 atboth terminals of the plate strut 20 are bifurcated and secured to thefront base plate 1 and the rear base plate 2 respectively. Apertures 23and 24 are drilled in the front and rear base plates between thebifurcated parts of the folded ends 21 and 22. These bores 23 and 24serve to support the axle 5 of the long hand, as in FIG. 1. Furthermore,the plate strut 20 is so shaped that the axle 5 is positioned betweenthe bifurcations of the strut.

What is claimed is 1. In a clockwork movement for wall-type clocks, theimprovement which comprises a. A front base plate;

b. A rear base plate parallel to said front base plate;

c. A first strut rigidly separating said two plates and positionedtherebetween, centrally along the upper edges of said plates;

d. A second strut rigidly separating said two plates and positionedtherebetween, opposite said first strut along the lower edges of saidplates;

e. An axle positioned within said second strut and protruding frontallyfrom said front plate for supporting said clocks long hand.

2. The improvement according to claim I, wherein said second strut istubular and concentrically surrounds said axle.

3. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said first strut has alarger diameter than said second struts.

4. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said second strut is aplate having terminal folded and bifurcated ends, said ends beingsecured to at least one of said plates at said edge thereof, said axlebeing located axially between the bifurcations.

1. In a clockwork movement for wall-type clocks, the improvement whichcomprises a. A front base plate; b. A rear base plate parallel to saidfront base plate; c. A first strut rigidly separating said two platesand positioned therebetween, centrally along the upper edges of saidplates; d. A second strut rigidly separating said two plates andpositioned therebetween, opposite said first strut along the lower edgesof said plates; e. An axle positioned within said second strut andprotruding frontally from said front plate for supporting said clock''slong hand.
 2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said secondstrut is tubular and concentrically surrounds said axle.
 3. Theimprovement according to claim 2, wherein said first strut has a largerdiameter than said second strut''s.
 4. The improvement according toclaim 1, wherein said second strut is a plate having terminal folded andbifurcated ends, said ends being secured to at least one of said platesat said edge thereof, said axle being located axially between thebifurcations.